Feeding mechanism for automatic firearms



Aug. 28, 1951 c. E. SIMPSON FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIQ FIREARMS 5 SheetsSheet 1 Original Filed June 7, 1946 2] WWW Clarence E Ein 1]:|.s|3n

8, 1951 c. E. SIMPSON 2,565,527

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Original Filed June 7, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 grwa/wtm Ellnil-Lc' E- si l nsun %gg.W K 41% Aug. 28, 1951 c. E. SIMPSON 2,565,527

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Original Filed June '7, 1946 3 Sheet's-Sheet 5 llluren: e E 5im :1.5 on

Patented Aug. 28, 1951 FEEDING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS Clarence E. Simpson, Springfield, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War Original application June 7, 1946, Serial No. 675,124. Divided and this application February 24, 1948, Serial No. 10,549

7 Claims. (CI. 8933) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a feeding mechanism for an automatic firearm of the recoiling barrel type.

This application is a division of my application for Automatic Firearms, Serial No. 675,124, filed June 7, 1946, now Patent No. 2,555,379.

It is an object of this invention to provide a feeding mechanism for an automatic firearm having a. recoiling barrel and related breech members. Another object of this invention is to provide a feeding mechanism for an automatic firearm utilizing ammunition contained in conveniently handled strips, such ammunition being aligned in the feedway by mechanical means independent of the recoiling members of the firearm.

The specific nature of the invention as well bers of the firearm showing the position of the feedway with respect to such members.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 17 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side view of the firearm showing the manner of supporting the front portion of the barrel.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary left side view of the firearm showing the manner of securing the feedway to the receiver.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the feedway locking pin.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail view of the lug shown in perspective utilized to receive the feedway locking pin.

Referring to Figs. and 8 there is shown in assembled relation a firearm embodying this invention. A receiver I0 is provided to support the recoiling elements of the firearm. Such receiver essentially comprises a pair of spaced parallel side plates H and I2. Near the upper edge of the side plates II and I2 there is provided a longitudinal groove-like guideway l3 to slidably support a barrel extension [4. A vertically disposed cutaway portion [5 at the forward end of guideway [3 permits easy removal of barrel extension M. A tube [6 secured to the forward end of receiver Ill is horizontally disposed and contains a hydraulic recoil and counter-recoil mechanism which is fully described in my U. S. Patent No. 2,364,103. A front barrel bearing support I! is provided to support the forward end of a barrel l8. The breech end of such barrel is preferably threadably secured to barrel extension I l. The front barrel bearing support I! is so constructed as to permit limited vertical movement of barrel l8 when removing barrel extension I4 and barrel ill from receiver [0 for disassembly purposes as fully shown and described in my application for Automatic Firearm, Serial No. 675,124, filed June 7, 1946.

A breech block I8 and breech block carriage 20 are slidably mounted in receiver 10. Breech block IS in turn is slidably mounted on carrier 20 and is arranged to be locked to barrel extension l4 by suitable locking lugs (not shown). On the recoil stroke of the firearm, barrel l8, barrel extension I4, breech block 19 and breech block carrier 20 recoil to the end of the recoil stroke as a unit. At the completion of such stroke, barrel [8 and barrel extension I4 are returned to battery position by means of the hydraulic mechanism contained in tube [6. As soon as such members reach battery position, breech block I9, which has been separated from breech block car rier 20, is then forced to battery position and is raised into locked relationship with barrel extension M as shown in Fig. 5.

The above briefly describes the functioning of the main elements of the firearm embodying the preferred form of this invention and should suffice to illustrate the workings thereof. A more detailed description may be had by reference to my copending application Serial No. 675,124, filed June '7, 1946 for Firearm.

A feedway 2| is transversely mounted on top of side plates H and I2 and substantially comprises a horizontal shelf 22 (Figs. 3 and 4). A large substantially rectangular depending portion 23 is provided on the underside of shelf portion 22 which is bifurcated by a semi-circular cut 24 to tioning detent 8| is provided on the rear end of each clip which is suitably formed to fit within an extractor groove 82 provided at the rear end of each cartridge 80 and strike the inside of the rim of each case 80 to align the bases of the cartridges in strip 3|.

A plurality of wedge-shaped notches 83 (Figs. 1 and 2) are provided on the forward edge of each strip 3|. The notches 83 have the same spacing as cartridge clips 18 and are provided to be engaged by the head 48 of cartridge strip retaining plunger 46. The cartridge strip 3| is inserted into the feedway from the left side of the firearm as shown in Fig. 1, the flared sides 11 engaging T-slot 3|]. The right end of cartridge strip 3| then engages a slot 12 of slide thereby unreeling tape 34 from spool 55. Thus tape 34 biases strip 3| to the left to bring each cartridge 80 into feeding position. A cartridge stop pawl 84 is pivotally mounted in the upper left hand corner of feedway 2| as shown in Fig. 1 to arrest and to align each cartridge in the feedway and such pawl is pivotally mounted on a pin 85. A spring 86 is inserted within a suitable slot to bias one end of pawl 84 upwardly into the path of a cartridge 80.

Upon firing a cartridge the barrel l8, barrel extension l4, breech block |9, and breech block carrier 20 recoiI as a unit until the breech block carrier 20 strikes a buffer mechanism (not shown) at the rear of the firearm. As barrel l8 and barrel etxension l4 recoil rearwardly, the cartridge strip retaining plunger 45 is biased rearwardly by spring 50. The head of such plunger engages one of the notches 83 on strip 3| to secure such strip against lateral movement.

On the counter-recoil stroke, barrel extension M and barrel |2 continue forwardly thereby forcing breech block I9 to slide downwardly on the inclined surface of breech block carrier 20 whereupon such block becomes disengaged from barrel extension l4 and such extension moves forwardly into battery position. Upon going into battery position, barrel extension l4 strikes the cartridge strip retaining plunger 46 shown in Figs. 1 and '7 and forces head 48 out of engagement with notch 83 in strip 3| permitting such strip to move to the left as shown in Fig. 1 until the next round in the strip contacts stop pawl 85 which horizontally aligns the next cartridge in feedway 2| where it can again be engaged by breech block l9 as such breech block comes forwardly to the breeched position shown in Fig. 1. Upon extracting the last round from cartridge strip 3| slide 34 forcibly ejects strip 3| out of feedway 2| leaving such feedway clear for quick insertion of a fully loaded strip.

From the foregoing description it is clearly apparent to 'those skilled in the art that there is here provided a cartridge feeding mechanism for an automatic firearm that is of unique and simple construction and one that will positively advance the cartridges into position to be extracted from the cartridge retaining strip to permit feeding of such cartridge into the barrel of a firearm.

I claim:

1. In a firearm having a recoiling member reciprocable from and to a battery position, a feedway disposed transversely relative to the path of said recoiling member, a cartridge feed member slidably insertable in said feedway, said feed member being provided with a plurality of clips and adapted to support a row of cartridges, resilient means for biasing said feed member 6 transversely along said feedway in a direction counter to the direction of insertion of said feed member in said feedway, a stop member adapted to engage the foremost cartridge of the row in the counter-insertion direction to position said feed member in said feedway against the bias of said resilient means, and means on said re coiling member for successively withdrawing the foremost cartridge from the row with each reciprocation of said recoiling member whereby said feed member is ejected from said feedway following withdrawal of the last cartridge from the row.

2. In a firearm having a recoiling member reciprocable from and to a battery position, a feed- Way disposed transversely relative to the path of said recoiling member and adapted to receive a strip of linked cartridges therein, means for biasing the strip of cartridges along the feedway in a feeding direction, and means responsive to the movement of said recoiling member out of its said battery position for preventing feeding movement of the strip of cartridges.

3. In a firearm having a recoiling member reciprocable from and to a battery position, a feedway disposed transversely relative to the path of said recoiling member, a cartridge feed member mounted for intermittent movement along said feedway, said feed member being adapted to support a row of cartridges, resilient means for biasing said feed member in a feeding direction along said feedway, a stop member adapted to engage the foremost cartridge of the row to limit feeding movement of said feed member, means on said recoiling member for successively withdrawing the foremost cartridge from the row with each reciprocation of said recoiling member, and means responsive to the movement of said recoiling member out of its said battery position for preventing feeding movement of said feed member.

4. In a firearm having a recoiling member reciprocable from and to a battery position, a unitary member defining a feedway, means for pivotally securing said member to said firearm, said feedway being disposed transversely relative to the path of said recoiling member and adapted to receive a strip of linked cartridges therein, resilient means for biasing the strip of cartridges along said feedway in a feeding direction, and means responsive to the movement of said recoiling member out of its said battery position for preventing feeding movement of the strip of cartridges.

5. In a firearm having a recoiling member reciprocable from and to a battery position, a unitary member defining a feedway, means for pivotally securing said member to said firearm, said feedway being disposed transversely relative to the path of said recoiling member and adapted to receive a strip of linked cartridges therein, resilient means for biasing the strip of cartridges transversely along said feedway in a feeding direction, a stop member adapted to engage the foremost cartridge of the row in the counter-insertion direction to position said feed member in said feedway against the bias of said resilient means, and means on said recoiling member for successively withdrawing the foremost cartridge from the row with each reciprocation of said recoiling member.

6. In a firearm having a recoiling member reciprocable from and to a battery position, a feedway disposed transversely relative to the path of said recoiling member, a cartridge feed member slidably insertable in said feedway, said mar-5,52%

freed member being adapted to 'sunpb'r't a rdw or cartridges, a spindle rot table inb'unt'd en the firearm, -a fieiiib'letabe member having 'one "end engageable by said feed member and the other end secured to said spindle, resilient "r'nfeans for imparting a rotational bias to said spindle thereby biasing s'ai'd "feed in'emb'er transversei'y ailing said 'f ee'dway in a direction counter to the direction of insertion ofsaid feed member "in said feedvvay, a stop member "adapted "to en- "g the 'forernost cartridee of the row in the member in said 'feedway against the bias of said 'res'ient means, and means on said recoiling er for successively withdrawing the foremost-eartridge from the row with each reciproca tien 6f -said recoiIi'ng member whereby said feed member is ejected from said fee'dway following Withdrawal of the last cartridge from the row.

7. In a firearm having a recoiling member reciprocable from and to a battery position, a unitary member defining a feedway, means for pivo'tally securing said member to said firearm, said feedway being disposed transversely relative to the path of said recbiling member and adapted to receive a strip of linked cartridges ounter insertibn direction to position said feed therein, resilient means for biasing the strip of cartridges along said, feedway in a feeding direction, and means resfionsive to the movement of said r'ecoiling member out of its said battery fio'sit'ion for preventing feeding movement or the strip of cartridges, said resilient means comprising a spindle rotatably mounted on the firearm, a flexible tape member having one end en- 'gaeable by said feedway member and the other end secured to said spindle, and resilient means for imparting a rbta'tional bias 'to said spindle.

CLARENCE E. SIMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES U. S. Rifle, cal. .30, M 1, 1944 (FM 23-5), 89-M. P. 

